To a better place

[DrPL]

I've just read something on the Forteana board that reminded me of something I read in a Ripper book when we lived in our last house between 2007-18.
The large introduction painted a picture of London that autumn saying that many people had disappeared without trace but they had a far off look in their eyes before they vanished. This is completely from memory as I just can't find the book and it's probable that it was lost during the house move.
All I remember was that the book was softcover, of small size, extremely thick (4-500 pages at least) and comprehensive, and that there might have been two authors, who were well known names in the Ripper field.
Does this ring any bells??

[barnflatwyngarde]

It sounds like the kind of thing that Colin Wilson might have brought up, or possibly it was one of those "Compendium of Mysteries" type of book.

[DrPL]

Thank you! It probably was, but I definitely read the above in a Ripper book within the last twenty years. It stuck in my memory and has intrigued me ever since.

[Fantomas]

Accounts of people dematerialising, do you mean?